An Ruo stood frozen in place. On the other end of the phone came An Che's suppressed sobs. She felt the blood in her veins slowly congeal...
Gripping the phone tightly, she wanted to speak, but suddenly realized the man was still beside her. She forced herself into silence.
In an ordinary apartment, Shen Tingfeng lounged arrogantly on the sofa, one leg propped on the table and swinging idly. He held his phone with one hand, chuckling cruelly, a vicious grin curling at the corner of his mouth: "You've been riding high following Shen Xiaoxing lately, haven't you? Almost forgotten about me, huh?"
An Che's head was pinned to the table by a bodyguard, his face bruised and swollen, the corner of his mouth split open. Tears mixed with blood dripped onto the glass coffee table.
In the quiet study, Shen Tingfeng's arrogant voice rang out with chilling clarity...
An Ruo felt as if she'd been struck by an acupuncture point, standing there dumbly, struggling even to breathe. The man beside her watched her with deep, dark eyes, as if waiting for her to make a decision.
"Baby, I miss you. You'd better show up in front of me soon, or else..." Shen Tingfeng let out a sinister laugh. "This will be the last words he ever says to you."
An Ruo panicked. "Shen Tingfeng, if you have a problem, take it out on me! He's innocent!"
"Who am I? I'm the big bad guy Shen Tingfeng. You want me not to hurt him? Then you'd better give me something good in return."
Shen Xiaoxing clenched his fists, listening to Shen Tingfeng's arrogant words. A cold flame ignited in his eyes. *He's really asking for death!*
"Fine..." An Ruo gritted her teeth, forcing herself to regain a shred of rationality. "What do you want me to do?"
Was he going to threaten her into poisoning the man again?
"What do I want? Don't you know?" Shen Tingfeng let out a low scoff. "Tonight, Room 1109 at the Orton Hotel. I'll be waiting."
A few seconds of silence passed, and then the other party hung up, leaving An Ruo standing there, clutching the phone, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
The room fell into a terrifying stillness, so quiet that only the faint sound of their breathing could be heard.
The man took a sip of his milk tea, his deep, dark eyes clouded. The sweet taste in his mouth now turned into a bitter, astringent flavor.
"Nothing to explain to me?"
An Ruo slowly lowered her phone. "My brother is in Shen Tingfeng's hands. I have to go save him..."
"How?"
She bit her lip hard, her fingers digging into the back of her hand, leaving red marks...
The man glanced at her, watching as she left shocking traces on her own hand out of guilt. A dull ache tightened in his chest.
He reached out, took her hand, gently rubbed the marks on her skin, and said in a low voice, "Do you really have to go to the Orton to save him?"
An Ruo's nose stung. She took a few deep breaths, her voice cold and hoarse. "I don't have a choice..."
"You do."
She stared at him blankly.
"You can choose to trust me." Shen Xiaoxing gazed deeply into her eyes, his low voice carrying a hint of tenderness. "On the day we got our marriage certificate, I said I planned to spend my whole life with you. I hope you'll hold nothing back from me and slowly learn to love me."
"..."
An Ruo lowered her head slightly. She knew she hadn't forgotten those words, but... An Che was her bottom line. He couldn't be harmed.
"Do you know what awaits you if you go to him?"
The girl's eyes reddened slightly. She fought to hold back her tears, a dull, sour ache in her heart threatening to break her composure.
Her voice choked. "I'm sorry..."
Shen Xiaoxing looked at his now-empty palm, his gaze gradually darkening. The sight of the girl's hurried retreating figure stabbed painfully into his heart.
The servants saw An Ruo rushing downstairs in a panic, not even bothering to change her shoes. Housekeeper Xu asked in confusion, "Young Madam, where are you going? It's this late—aren't you coming back for dinner?"
An Ruo's mind was entirely focused on how to save An Che. She had no time to answer them. She ran straight out of the villa and flagged down a taxi on the road.
In front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, the man was shrouded in a low-pressure aura. His dark eyes locked onto the girl fleeing the villa, a cold gleam in his gaze.
*In the end, she still refused to trust him.*
Han Chong rushed in hurriedly. "Young Master, the Young Madam is..."
When he saw the terrifying look in the man's eyes, the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.
"Room 1109 at the Orton Hotel," the man said in a grim voice. "I want Shen Tingfeng's leg broken."
Though the words were simple, the murderous intent behind them was chilling.
Since Shen Tingfeng refused to behave, he'd make sure he couldn't go anywhere!
Han Chong felt a chill run down his spine. What could have made the Young Master so furious? Had he and the Young Madam fought again?
The man was in a rage, so Han Chong didn't dare to delay. He quickly set off to carry out the order.
But just as he took two steps, the man called him back and instructed in a low voice, "Make sure to bring that boy named An Che back safely."
...
At the Orton Hotel.
An Ruo stood outside Room 1109. She took a deep breath, raised her hand to knock, while her other hand instinctively tightened around the bag at her side, which held a very sharp boning knife.
She had prepared for the worst. By now, Shen Xiaoxing must be deeply disappointed in her, right?
Hah, it didn't matter. Since she had agreed to become his lawful wife, she would never do anything to betray him. Once she saved An Che, she would take that beast Shen Tingfeng down with her!
The door opened from the inside. The bodyguard saw she was alone and stepped aside to let her in.
An Ruo walked in. Shen Tingfeng, wearing a dark brown bathrobe, sat on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine in one hand and smirking at her.
"It seems that kid's life really matters to you. Otherwise, the usually hesitant you, who always dawdles for half an hour, actually showed up early."
An Ruo's expression was cold. "I'm here. Where's An Che?"
Shen Tingfeng looked at her leisurely, taking his time to finish the glass of wine. He closed his eyes and savored it slowly, as if filming a food commercial, deliberately trying to make her anxious.
Seeing his disgusting demeanor, An Ruo gritted her teeth. "Where is he!"
The usually calm and composed girl became frantic whenever An Che was involved.
Touch her, fine. Touch An Che, and it meant death!
"Ah Jin, didn't you hear the eldest young madam?" Shen Tingfeng crossed his legs, his posture lazy and casual. "Hurry up and let her see him."
The bodyguard named Ah Jin gave a slight nod. He yanked open the red velvet curtain, revealing a transparent glass wall. In the room opposite, An Che was tied to a chair, covered in injuries, clearly having been brutally beaten.
The moment An Ruo saw him, her heart clenched in pain. Her eyes bloodshot, she glared at Shen Tingfeng. "You hit him?"
"This kid wouldn't behave. When he heard your name, he lunged at me like a wild dog and bit me. If I didn't teach him a lesson, how could I keep him in line?" Shen Tingfeng's hand, resting on the sofa arm, was wrapped in gauze—clearly, An Che had bitten him badly.
Otherwise, the vengeful Shen Tingfeng wouldn't have beaten him so severely.
An Ruo took a deep breath. Did he think she wasn't vengeful too?
The man waved his hand, and Ah Jin responded by drawing the curtain closed.
"He's still alive. I promised to leave him breathing. But if you want me to let him go, it depends on how long you can keep me entertained."
The condition was so blatant that An Ruo understood perfectly. When she bought the boning knife on the way here, she hadn't thought much—either she'd make him release An Che, or she'd take him down with her!
If she got lucky, she could kill Shen Tingfeng and at worst go to jail.
An Ruo set her bag on the table, then took off her coat and tossed it carelessly onto the sofa beside him. Her face cold, she said, "Second Young Master Shen, do you prefer the top or the bottom?"